


Girl in The Red Cape

by fujoshifanGRL93



Series: Blood & Steel [1]
Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Crying Boys, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Home, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Romance, Slow Burn, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 08:56:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7838512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fujoshifanGRL93/pseuds/fujoshifanGRL93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Heroes.</p>
<p>Like the sounding of war drums, the whipped movement of capes roared through the air. A declaration of their power, echoed in the militant footsteps that each chose to strode by. Their faces held no trace of smile. There was no joy.</p>
<p>For today, they would be bury their own."</p>
<p>Kara Zor-El was a girl who had never felt completely comfortable with the world around her. It was slow. The people, different. But with Clark there, it managed to feel like home..... or at least something like home.</p>
<p>From the moment he was 'born', Connor would forever walk in the shadow of a man they hailed as 'Super'. But in a world without the Man of Steel, what exactly does it mean to be 'Super'.</p>
<p>With the death of Krypton's last son, those whom called him family must learn to live in a world without him. But is anyone ever really gone forever?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girl in The Red Cape

**Author's Note:**

> contains elements from the Justice League/Unlimited animated series, as well as aspects of Supergirl's origin within the animated feature Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.

Girl in the Red Cape  
=======  
Death of Superman, Prologue

Ch.1

Heroes.

Like the sounding of war drums, the whipped movement of capes roared through the air. A declaration of their power, echoed in the militant footsteps that each chose to strode by. Their faces held no trace of smile. There was no joy.

For today, they would be bury their own.

 

====

 

Rubble and debris decorated the streets like the ruins of a warzone, with the clashing of titanic fist reverberating through the air, and shaking the earth below them. Chaos seemed to surrounded the city like a dark cloud, engulfing its citizens in a haze of terror and fear. Armageddon had arrived. And with it, Doomsday.

Deafened to the sounds around him, his own rapid heart beat was the only sound made clear to the young teen boy. Clearing his way through what remained of the crumbling city around him, the metallic taste of blood settled bitterly upon tongue, as scars decorated skin that he once thought impervious.

 

==== 

 

Adorned in white cloth and armor, Diana stood guard over the body of her fallen comrade. A man, whom with time, she had come to regard as brother. As the form of greek marble approached, cast in flesh of leather and spandex, the stiffened features worn on her face fell nonchalant. Her softening gaze now settled upon those who would soon look to her for guidance.

“Great Hera, give me the strength to lead them”

 

====

 

“Anais!”

Shielding his sight from the haze of dust that now enshrouded the battlefield, Connor barely managed to hold foot as the shear force of the battle before him threatened to crush all those who stood in it's awe. As the ground crumbled beneath his feet, the desperate cry of a woman's voice forced it's way through the noise, breaking his concentration.

 

====

 

As cape and cowl gathered like lost sheep returning to the flock, their eyes held the look of those heading to slaughter. Through aging mask, eyes sought comfort in the familiarity of swished satin fabric and bright color. But try as they might, nothing would allow them to escape the sombre reality of what this all meant.

“Look at them” the redhead bit a distance from the crowd, feathers ruffled in resignation, armor decorating the length of her wingspan in bronze and blackened steel. As fingers clasped tight in restraint at the metallic handle of her chosen weapon.

“Do you really think we can do this without him” she spoke, eyes shifting to the dark skinned man beside her

“I don’t know Shayera, I really don’t know”

 

====

 

Screams echoed in all directions as Connor dashed toward the remains of a now crumbling building, making quick motions to help free its residents from the rubble they now found themselves buried under. As those around him attempted to flee the destruction, a part of the boy wondered whether or not this battle would be their last.

 

====

 

“Dick, I need you to take your bro-” the Dark Knight spoke in graveled tone, child curled at his chest

“He’s not my brother” spoke the taller teen standing aside the Boy Wonder

“Jason” Dick spoke in subtle scold of the boy, warning him not to go further with his statement

“I’m just saying” the younger boy spoke, ignoring the comment thrown his way, “we might be living together but he is not-”

“Damnit Jason!” Bruce growled in frustration, softening only at the muffled cry of the child held cradled in his arms.

“Just, find Alfred?”

 

====

“Superboy, come in. Superboy! Superboy, rospond! Come in, Superboy!.....”

“Connor?” 

 

====

 

Piercing blue stared out among a sea of faceless capes, the athletic form of a boy named “Super” stood aback from the crowd, unable to face the pity their eyes were sure to bare. Ears tuned to the light approach of footsteps, the boy stiffened to the form now stood at his back.

“Con-” the girl’s familiar feminine tones broke, with her hand finding itself rested at his shoulder.

“What do you want, M’gann?” he bit in reply, the boy’s weight shifting in a way that removed him from her grasp, as he turned to face her.

Neither moving, nor making retreat. Silence seemed to cast over them, as eyes faltered in their contact. Each lost themselves to a conversation, neither heard nor spoken. But that silence spoke more than any words could. Even before it had all happened, a distance had grown that neither wished to acknowledge, but could no longer deny.

“I can’t do this anymore, M’gann” the boy spoke, a forced smile playing on his lips, “ not now…. not with you”

“Wait” her voice came after him shakily, “Con- I just”

“It’s just” the girl’s words fell, choking as she struggled for what to say, “I’m sorry”

“Yeah” the boy coughed in bitter reply, “me too”

 

====

 

“Superboy, Superboy….!” the Martian girls voice crackled over the comlink, “Connor?”

For a moment it was as though the world around him froze. Everything moved in slow motion, still and unmoving in the silence. And like the rushing of fresh water it all came flooding back in the split of a second.

 

====

 

With their faces a reflection of growing frustration, the crowd began to stir in wait of the woman who would soon take stage to address them. And though it was not her first engagement with public speaking, the weight of it placed a sense of doubt at her shoulders.

“You really did it this time, Smallville” the woman chastised, lips curved ever so slightly in bitter halfhearted smile, as fingers ran tepidly at fine mahogany.

“But then, trouble always did have a way of finding you” the woman coughed in sputtered laughter, “no matter how much i wish it wouldn’t….”

“Do you remember that night?” she choked in bitter nostalgia, brief smile playing on her lips.

“I never did know what to do with you” she fought back tears, hand running ever so briefly at abdomen, “I just don’t know if i can do this without you…”

“God, Clark-”

“Lois?” interrupted the familiar tone of a certain fast talking speedster in red, “sorry I didn’t- I can come-”

“It’s fine Barry” the woman sniffled, with laughter playing off her tongue, “I’m fine”

“We don’t-” the speedster caught his words, “ you don’t hav- you’re sure?”

Hand resting briefly at her growing belly, she smiled once more.

“I have to be”

 

====

 

“Kal-El? Clark? KAL-EL!?”

As the dust settled, Connor could only fall to his knees at the sight unfolding before him. In the battle’s aftermath blonde and red would be the only thing he remembered. The strangled guttural cry reverberating through the air, a stark departure from the stories he had heard of her. But even as heroes left and right, fought to remove the girl from the now lifeless form of the man she had called home. Connor could only watch. For the first time in his life, as he stared at that disheveled girl, and the body that lay before her. Connor felt complete and utterly helpless.

====

 

“You’d think that with the amount of money they paid for this thing it would look a little more-” the unfamiliar rasp of a woman’s voice questioned, breaking Connor from his thoughts.

“Not sucky?” the boy offered, eyes unmoving from the sculpted stone structure that stood before them

“Not sucky? I like it” the woman nodded in approval, “Personally i would have went with more of a ‘failed high school art project’ comparison, but-”

“You smoke?” the woman turned with labored breath, the frigid air cold against her skin.

“I’m 16” the boy’s brow raised in question.

Standing in silence, the scent of tobacco wafted between them. The sounding of heavy breathing the only sound either could hear. The idle chatter of conversation fading into the background. As the the world moved around them, for the two it was a moment caught in slow motion. Each staring at a man who meant more to them than either were willing to admit.

 

====

 

“Superboy?” Connor’s thoughts broke at the light padding of footsteps beside him, “Con?”

“I-I-I….” the boy stuttered in reply, his movements tense and contracting, “he- clar….- Super”

“R-r-obin?” the disheveled boy spoke, his tone confused and uncertain, as the Boy Wonder surveyed the scene that playing out before them, “tell me it's going to be okay, that… h-he can’t?”

The boy's voice faltered as he fell at his friend's knees. 

“He ….”

“It’s gonna be okay, Con…” the boy spoke, unbelieving of his own words, as he took the other boy in his arms, “everything's gonna be okay”

 

====

 

“You okay?” the familiar voice questioned, well at the same time comforting, “Connor?”

“I wanna go home, Dick?” the Kryptonian responded, his statement posed more as question.

“Okay” 

 

====

 

“Are sure about this?” spoke the silhouette of a figure unseen to those around her, “Kara?”

“Right now, I’m not sure about anything” spoke the girl in question, hands stuffed in coat pockets as she watched over the two boys below, “the only thing I know anything about, is the fact that none of this, makes any sense at all”

“What are you going to do?” the voice returned.

“Whatever I have to…” the girl paused, face turned as she fixed to face her nameless comrade, “will you help me?”

“I don’t know if- that i’d be much help” the nervous reply gave way to a cheery disposition, “but if you’re asking me- if you need me…. I’ll follow you anywhere”

 

====

To be continued


End file.
